In the biggest Las Vegas implosion since the Riviera, Kaos dayclub and nightclub at Palms has closed.

Palms officials announced the closure following months of drama surrounding the venue that’s been bleeding cash since it opened in March 2019.

Here’s the official statement.

“Taking time to reassess.” Otherwise known as “the last words you hear before somebody breaks your heart.”

Kaos was part of a $679 million renovation of Palms, an investment we personally consider to have been “a smidge on the batshit crazy side.”

The reasons for the failure of Kaos are many, but ultimately it was simply a matter of math.

The venue paid ungodly amounts of money for talent, and even on its busiest nights, Kaos failed to make a profit.

Marshmello, for example, snagged a deal for $60 million. Cardi B was paid $300,000 for each of her 15-minute performances. Simply unsustainable.

Fun fact: We broke the news Kaos would be named Kaos. Which doesn’t seem all that much fun now for some reason.

Frank Fertitta, CEO of Red Rock Resorts, the company that owns Palms, said nightclub customers “did not have spendable money, we didn’t see the crossover into the casino.” Read more.

We are not an economist, but we’re fairly sure businesses prefer, and often require, the spendable kind of money.

Red Rock Resorts is writing off $28.2 million in losses from Kaos, with more on the way. Over the next six months, it’s expected they’ll have to write off another $16 million to $22 million.

The Kaos debacle has resulted in the ousting of a number of high profile executives. Recent departures include Jon Gray, G.M. of Palms, and Las Vegas nightlife heavy hitters Ryan M. Craig and Ronn Nicolli.

One twist to this story, generally not mentioned in coverage of the Kaos closure, was that time Tao Group bailed on a partnership to manage the nightlife at Palms in late 2018. It was a big red flag at the time, and entirely possible Tao Group saw the writing on the wall.

Had you been following us on Twitter, you would know all this because we’ve been chronicling the whole Kaos debacle in excruciating detail for months. We’ll wait while you follow.

Waiting.

We like to think of Twitter as our quicker, snarkier “blog.”

What’s next for Kaos? As mentioned in the official statement above which you didn’t read completely because it was boring, the venue will be used for private meeting space and special events, “in addition to everyday resort pool operations.”

Most costly collective cringe, ever.

What does the Kaos saga mean for nightlife in Las Vegas? Nobody knows!

What other heads might roll at Palms? Nobody knows!

Is this the end of the bad news out of Palms? Nobody knows!

Are we just asking questions because we can’t think of a clever way to end this blog post? Absolutely!

We’ll close by saying we hope the folks working at Kaos find gainful employment elsewhere quickly, and we continue to root for Red Rock Resorts to win its gamble on Palms despite it being a longshot.

If Vegas knows anything, it’s dazzle, and the new Hakkasan Grid at Hakkasan Nightclub takes dazzle to a whole new level.

The multi-million dollar light installation made its debut during EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival, May 17-19, 2019), and delivers on the promise of a sensational new reason to visit Hakkasan inside MGM Grand.

You’re going to wish you had more eyes.

The Hakkasan Grid is a marvel of technology. The ceiling light installation is made up of 57 individual triangles that can be turned into a virtually unlimited number of shapes, colors and configurations.

Here’s a look at some of the technology involved in making the Hakkasan Grid such a stunner.

Only slightly less complicated than brain surgery.

The overhead display undulates and pulses, intensifying the impact of the music, creating an ever-changing visual feast for nightclub-goers.

The 57 triangles are moved using 169 winches, which is 2.964912280 winches per triangle, which can’t be right, but we are a blog, not a mathematician, so let’s move on.

Yeah, you sort of have to see it in action. Behold the Hakkasan Grid.

It’s like a space ship, a kinetic sculpture and a neon factory had a threesome and the Hakkasan Grid is the offspring.

The thing is straight-up amazing, and we aren’t even a nightclub person.

If you’re a light installation nerd, it’s worth noting the Hakkasan Grid is 30 feet wide, and each of the triangles was custom-designed and 3-D printed. The display features pixel mapping and color-mixing technologies as well.

Hakkasan is a Japanese word meaning, “You have no chance with that girl, so stop pestering her, you big dope.”

Hakkasan opened in 2013, making it 104 in Las Vegas nightclub years.

Given its substantial investment in the new light installation, Hakkasan clearly isn’t resting on its laurels and intends to stay relevant as the nightlife landscape continues to evolve in Las Vegas.

The exterior of Hakkasan got some digital mapping since your last visit. You need to get out more.

The venue boasts world-class DJ talent, including Tiesto, Zedd, Steve Aoki and others. Such residencies are the bread-and-butter of nightclubs, but it can’t hurt to have a mind-blowing light show in the mix as well.

Hakkasan it the place to let your geometry freak flag fly.

We’ve added the Hakkasan Grid onto our list of must-see attractions in Las Vegas, right up there with the Bellagio fountains, the new Eiffel Tower light show, the Viva Vision canopy on Fremont Street, the Mirage volcano and us in a thong.

That’s weird. People usually don’t read this far. Good luck unseeing that.

Hakkasan Nightclub at MGM Grand is about to get some new eye candy in the form of a multi-million dollar light installation dubbed the “Hakkasan Grid.”

The new kinetic display will be made up of 57 triangles that can be manipulated by 169 winches into a virtually unlimited number of shapes and colors.

Spectacle, with a side of oontz.

The Hakkasan Grid is touted as being the largest kinetic light installation in the country.

The Hakkasan Grid will debut during EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival) week. The EDC music festival happens May 17-19, 2019.

Our top Las Vegas nightclub tip: Be an attractive young woman. It’s not rocket science.

Per a news release, “Each triangle was custom designed and 3-D printed with premium materials from the brand Kinetic Lights located in Berlin, Germany and features pixel mapping and color-mixing technologies, making the grid the only structure of its kind that allows fully-customized images and patterns to flow seamlessly across all of the triangles both individually and collectively.”

We don’t have to understand it to think it sounds awesome.

Here’s a video with a similar light installation that might provide some idea of what’s in store at Hakkasan. But better, because Las Vegas.

While we are not necessarily a nightclub person, we’re fascinated by them and love shiny new things. The Hakkasan Grid certainly qualifies.

We can’t wait to see it in action. Let us know what you think if you get there first.

It’s a crazy time for nightlife in Las Vegas. We’re hearing Intrigue, the nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas, is set to close.

News of Intrigue’s closure, confirmed by multiple sources, comes on the heels of another Las Vegas nightclub bombshell, that Hyde Bellagio will close.

While Hyde will be replaced with another nightclub concept, it sounds like Wynn Resorts will not do the same with Intrigue. That’s a pretty big deal.

A source familiar with Intrigue says the nightclub will close around Memorial Day (late May 2019), and no other nightclub concept is currently planned for the space.

It will be rented out for events, just as the hotel did with its Alex restaurant space. Alex is slated to become a new supper club concept, Delilah, in spring 2020.

There’s nothing more intriguing than a juicy Vegas rumor.

Intrigue opened at Wynn in 2016 in the space that was formerly Tryst nightclub.

Intrigue is unique in that it has both an indoor and outdoor component. Intrigue’s outdoor patio features waterfall and pyrotechnics. The club’s footprint covers 14,000-square-feet.

Intrigue is a holdover from the Steve Wynn era. The club’s concept was that of the company’s disgraced former CEO, with design by Wynn’s longtime collaborator Roger Thomas and former COO Sean Christie. Christie now oversees nightlife at MGM Resorts, and will spearhead the rebrand of Hyde Bellagio. Small world.

The possible closure of Intrigue has not been announced, but we have no patience for “news releases” or “official confirmations.” “Bor,” meet “ing.”

While we are not personally a nightclub person, we love a good scoop, so we look forward to seeing how this (wait for it) intrigue unfolds.

Update (5/30/19): Our scoop has been confirmed. Intrigue will close June 1, 2019. The space will be used as we shared, for special events.

While Bellagio hasn’t said what will take Hyde’s place, our source says the concept will be along the lines of Annabel’s, a popular nightclub and bar in London. Here’s a look.

The closure of Hyde isn’t just a way to update an aging nightclub, it’s also a way to boot out a partner in the club, SBE Entertainment, as a cost-saving measure.

Hyde is just too valuable a location to let others share in the windfall, so it’s believed the new club will be managed in-house.

The view from Hyde is about as Vegas as it gets.

MGM Resorts recruited some high-priced nightlife talent in Sean Christie, President of Events and Nightlife, and it’s time for Christie to show his mettle. Christie formerly worked at Wynn Resorts. At one time, he was a managing partner of Encore Las Vegas Beach Club, Surrender and Andrea’s Restaurant at Wynn. Prior to that he was managing partner of The Light Group.

Before Hyde, which opened in 2011 (or 1860 in Las Vegas nightclub years),
the space was occupied by the Fontana lounge.

One of Hyde’s claims to fame is its $250,000 bottle service package that let guests control the Bellagio fountains with the touch of a button. Oh, the package also comes with a 30 liter bottle of Ace of Spades champagne, so totally worth it.

The new nightlife concept in the Hyde footprint is expected to open in winter of 2019.

This spot at Bellagio has one of the most magnificent views in all of Las Vegas, overlooking the resort’s iconic fountains, so we expect something impressive to take Hyde’s place.

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